Marichal
French name meaning "good horse rider" or "knight of Mary".
Name Census estimates that about 7 living Americans carry the first name Marichal. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Marichal today is around 60 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Marichal births was 1965 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Marichal. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Marichal. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
7
~ 1 in 48,964,905 Americans
Peak year
1965
8 babies that year
Average age
60
years old
1965 SSA rank
#3,151
Tracked since 1965
Popularity
Marichal: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Marichal by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Marichal during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 8 | 0 | 8 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Marichal
The name Marichal is believed to have originated in Spain and Portugal, with roots tracing back to the Latin language and the Old French name Mariscalcus, meaning "marshal" or "horse servant." This name was commonly given to those who served in military or knightly capacities during the Middle Ages.
In its earliest forms, the name was often spelled as Mariscal or Marischal, reflecting its direct ties to the Old French word mariscalcus. Over time, it evolved into the more modern spelling of Marichal, which became particularly popular in certain regions of Spain and Portugal.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Marichal can be found in the 13th century, when it was associated with a prominent Spanish military leader named Juan Marichal, who fought in the Reconquista campaigns against the Moors. Marichal's military exploits and leadership were well-documented in historical chronicles of the time.
During the Renaissance period, the name Marichal gained further recognition through the artistic achievements of the Spanish painter Juan de Marichal (c. 1485-1545), whose works adorned many churches and noble residences in Seville and surrounding areas.
In the 17th century, the Spanish playwright and poet Pedro Marichal (1618-1687) earned acclaim for his comedic plays and satires, which offered insightful commentaries on the societal norms and customs of his era.
Another noteworthy figure bearing the name Marichal was the French philosopher and theologian Louis Marichal (1756-1829), whose writings on ethics and moral philosophy had a significant impact on intellectual discourse during the Enlightenment period.
In more recent history, the name Marichal is perhaps most famously associated with the legendary Dominican-American baseball player Juan Marichal (born 1937), a Hall of Fame pitcher who played for the San Francisco Giants and the Boston Red Sox. His dominance on the mound and his contributions to the sport have cemented his place in baseball history.
While the name Marichal has undergone various spelling changes over the centuries, its rich heritage and cultural significance have endured, carrying the legacy of military valor, artistic expression, intellectual pursuit, and athletic prowess across generations.
People
Marichal + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Marichal as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with M
Other first names starting with M with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Marichal: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Marichal?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 7 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Marichal going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 48,964,905 US residents.
Is Marichal a common name?
We classify Marichal as "Very Rare". It ranks above 23.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 8 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Marichal most popular?
The single biggest year for Marichal was 1965, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Marichal is about 60 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Marichal in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Marichal a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Marichal in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Marichal still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Marichal in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Marichal can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are named Marichal?
If you just want to know how many people have the name Marichal, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.